5 Significant Villanelle Poems

Villanelles are a structured form of verse that originated in France during the 16th century. These poems consist of 19 lines, with five tercets (three-line stanzas) followed by a concluding quatrain (four-line stanza).

The rhyme scheme is ABA ABA ABA ABA ABA ABAA. Villanelles are known for their distinctive use of repeated lines, where the first and third lines of the opening tercet alternate as the final lines of the subsequent stanzas and then form the closing couplet.

This repetition creates a haunting and mesmerizing effect, emphasizing the poem’s themes and creating a sense of melancholy and introspection. Villanelles often explore themes of memory, loss, and the passage of time, making them a captivating and timeless form of poetry.

Poem Explorer Poetry Archives

PDF Guide

Nationality:

Themes:

Emotions:

Topics:

Form:

Genre:

"> 75/100

Antarctica

by Derek Mahon

‘Antarctica’ by Derek Mahon is a poem that takes a look at the events of Captain Oates’ self-sacrifice in Antarctica.

This is a very good example of a villanelle. This is not a particularly common form of poetry, but Mahon uses it to great effect to help highlight various aspects of the poem by using the recurring lines. Mahon often wrote poetry with a strict structure, and he handled the form well.

‘I am just going outside and may be some time.’

The others nod, pretending not to know.

At the heart of the ridiculous, the sublime.

PDF Guide

Nationality:

Themes:

Emotions:

Topics:

Form:

Genre:

"> 65/100

If I Could Tell You

by W.H. Auden

‘If I Could Tell You,’ a villanelle by W.H. Auden, delves into time’s role in life, emphasizing learning from mistakes and the futility of worrying about the uncontrollable.

‘If I Could Tell You’ is written as a villanelle, which is a poem with a specific structure that repeats lines in a set pattern. It has nineteen lines, divided into five stanzas of three lines each and a final stanza of four lines. The poem follows a strict rhyme scheme and repeats the lines “Time will say nothing but I told you so” and “If I could tell you I would let you know” throughout, making it feel almost like a chant about the uncertainty of life.

Time will say nothing but I told you so,

Time only knows the price we have to pay;

If I could tell you I would let you know.

PDF Guide

Nationality:

Themes:

Emotions:

Topics:

Form:

"> 65/100

One Art

by Elizabeth Bishop

‘One Art’ by Elizabeth Bishop reveals the extent to which people will deny the possibility of grief as a way of coping with inevitable loss, comparing it to an art form that can be easily mastered.

The argument could be made that Bishop's poem is one of the more famous renditions of a villanelle. One of its defining features is its repeated lines, which in the case of this poem, resound with the speaker's need to escape or at least numb themselves to the pain of loss.

The art of losing isn’t hard to master;

so many things seem filled with the intent

to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

PDF Guide

Nationality:

Themes:

Emotions:

Topics:

Mothers and Daughters

Forms:

Genre:

"> 48/100

Genetics

by Sinéad Morrissey

‘Genetics’ speaks on the composition of one’s body and how one is made of their mother, father, and their combined history.

The poem is not a strict villanelle, but it shares some of the form’s spirit. Like a villanelle, it is made up mostly of three-line stanzas and ends with a four-line stanza. It also repeats key phrases such as “my father’s in my fingers, my mother’s in my palms” and returns to the idea of hands throughout. This echoing creates a circular rhythm, similar to the repeated refrains in a villanelle. While it does not follow the exact rhyme or line pattern, it still captures the reflective and looping quality that many villanelles use to show emotional depth and memory.

My father’s in my fingers, but my mother’s in my palms.

I lift them up and look at them with pleasure –

I know my parents made me by my hands.

PDF Guide

Lonely Hearts

by Wendy Cope

Wendy Cope’s ‘Lonely Hearts’ appears in her poetry collection “Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis”. This ironic piece talks about a speaker’s desperation over finding a perfect match in a lonely heart’s column.

Can someone make my simple wish come true?

Male biker seeks female for touring fun.

Do you live in North London? Is it you?

Home » Collection » Villanelle Poems

5 Significant Villanelle Poems

General

Poetry+

Discover

Useful Links

5 Significant Villanelle Poems

Antarctica

by Derek Mahon

If I Could Tell You

by W.H. Auden

One Art

by Elizabeth Bishop

Genetics

by Sinéad Morrissey

Narrow Your Search

We Look Deep into Poetry

General

Poetry+

Discover

Useful Links